CHBC Ramblings
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Head, Heart, Hands, and Feet
This past Sunday we finished up our seven part DiscipleLIFE Sermon Series. As promised, the message time was different as I distributed a four part self-assessment that helped each person in the Worship Center evaluate where they are in their growth in “head, heart, hands, and feet.” The assessment was kept by the participants as a “baseline.” Each year, a similar assessment can help disciples track their progress. Many have given me encouragement about the entire series, and if you missed any of the messages, they are on our website (www.clairmonthills.org—look for “Media” then “Sermons”). Also, I will be glad to give you a copy of the self-assessment if you missed last Sunday.
I also asked those who attended to fill out the scores only—no names—along with their Life Group (Sunday School class) and age group and return them in the offering plate. This information will help us in our teams to plan opportunities for growth in needed areas as we continue to focus on growing in our heads, hearts, hands, and feet.
Live on 90% for 90 Days
If you missed Sunday, not only did you miss the self-assessment, but you missed the very highlight of our service. Sylvia Gray shared her testimony with us as part of our 90% for 90 Days emphasis, and it was powerful! God has worked greatly in her through both the joys and challenges of life. Sylvia, like so many others, has discovered that closeness to God and growth in Him often comes even more during the most difficult challenges.
Thank you, Sylvia, for your willingness to share with us both your victories and your struggles in your relationship with God.
Time Change!
You get an extra hour of sleep this Saturday night, so don’t forget to set your clock BACK an hour before going to bed. It will be interesting to see if an extra hour translates into more people being on time!
Looking forward to worshiping with you Sunday,
Fred O. Pitts, Pastor
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Ramblings--20091022
CHBC Ramblings
Thursday, October 22, 2009
A Personal Note
I did not send any Ramblings last week, and I am almost at the end of this week before sending this note out. Most of you are aware that Cindy’s father, Jack, was in the hospital most of last week in ICU, was moved to hospice last Friday, and passed away early last Saturday morning. Jack was just 74 years old and worked out faithfully in an effort to improve his health. However, with a failing heart, failing kidneys, a blood disorder, and the underlying difficulty of diabetes, his body gave out, and the Lord called him to what is truly a better place!
While Jack and his wife Vivian (Cindy’s mom; my mother-in-law) had moved up to Atlanta in May to be near us, they had lived most of their adult lives in Macon. Therefore, a memorial service was held at their church in Macon (Lawrence Drive Baptist Church) on Monday morning, and the people there were so gracious to us all. After lunch, we drove on down to Fitzgerald, Georgia, where we had a brief graveside service with military honors. It was a long day, but it was a good day. We have sensed the strength that God gives in difficult times. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers as well as other acts of kindness during this time. We are glad that you are our church family.
Head, Heart, Hands, and Feet
This Sunday we will conclude our seven part DiscipleLIFE Sermon Series. We have been talking about balanced growth—head, heart, hands, and feet—over three stages of development (infant, growing, and mature), and I hope you will be present as we try to put it all together.
This week’s message time will be somewhat different than usual as I will lead you in a personal time of evaluation of your spiritual health. Each person will receive a handout to keep for himself or herself that will hopefully point out areas of strength as well as areas of need for further growth.
There will also be a way for us to evaluate our strengths and growth needs as a church, not just as individuals, which will help us in the future to offer opportunities for growth in discipleship through our Ministry Teams, Life Groups (Sunday School), and DiscipleLife classes.
Live on 90% for 90 Days
Are you taking the challenge? Our Finance Committee is taking the lead from the Bible to challenge those who do not by habit tithe to try it for the months of September, October, and November. “Test me in this,” says the Lord. (See Malachi 3.6-12). This Sunday, Sylvia Gray will briefly share her stewardship story with us. You won’t want to miss her words of encouragement.
Looking forward to worshiping with you Sunday,
Fred O. Pitts, Pastor
Thursday, October 22, 2009
A Personal Note
I did not send any Ramblings last week, and I am almost at the end of this week before sending this note out. Most of you are aware that Cindy’s father, Jack, was in the hospital most of last week in ICU, was moved to hospice last Friday, and passed away early last Saturday morning. Jack was just 74 years old and worked out faithfully in an effort to improve his health. However, with a failing heart, failing kidneys, a blood disorder, and the underlying difficulty of diabetes, his body gave out, and the Lord called him to what is truly a better place!
While Jack and his wife Vivian (Cindy’s mom; my mother-in-law) had moved up to Atlanta in May to be near us, they had lived most of their adult lives in Macon. Therefore, a memorial service was held at their church in Macon (Lawrence Drive Baptist Church) on Monday morning, and the people there were so gracious to us all. After lunch, we drove on down to Fitzgerald, Georgia, where we had a brief graveside service with military honors. It was a long day, but it was a good day. We have sensed the strength that God gives in difficult times. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers as well as other acts of kindness during this time. We are glad that you are our church family.
Head, Heart, Hands, and Feet
This Sunday we will conclude our seven part DiscipleLIFE Sermon Series. We have been talking about balanced growth—head, heart, hands, and feet—over three stages of development (infant, growing, and mature), and I hope you will be present as we try to put it all together.
This week’s message time will be somewhat different than usual as I will lead you in a personal time of evaluation of your spiritual health. Each person will receive a handout to keep for himself or herself that will hopefully point out areas of strength as well as areas of need for further growth.
There will also be a way for us to evaluate our strengths and growth needs as a church, not just as individuals, which will help us in the future to offer opportunities for growth in discipleship through our Ministry Teams, Life Groups (Sunday School), and DiscipleLife classes.
Live on 90% for 90 Days
Are you taking the challenge? Our Finance Committee is taking the lead from the Bible to challenge those who do not by habit tithe to try it for the months of September, October, and November. “Test me in this,” says the Lord. (See Malachi 3.6-12). This Sunday, Sylvia Gray will briefly share her stewardship story with us. You won’t want to miss her words of encouragement.
Looking forward to worshiping with you Sunday,
Fred O. Pitts, Pastor
Monday, October 05, 2009
Ramblings--20091005
CHBC Ramblings
Monday, October 5, 2009
Life Groups (Sunday School classes) are important!
You have probably heard that we are using the term Life Groups now for our primary small group ministry. Of course, we will continue to use the term Sunday School as well, since it is so familiar and ingrained in most of us. But whatever we call them, small groups are necessary for balanced and continued growth in discipleship. The small group is where we most easily live life together. The small group is the most natural place for person to person love and caring to take place within the larger church. The small group allows discussion of how to apply the Bible’s teaching to life and provides a safe environment for questions to be asked. The small group is generally an ideal size for ministry projects within the community. The small group offers a warm, friendly environment in which to invite others to experience Bible study and Christian fellowship. The small group is able to multiply easily when it begins to turn into a “large” group—a few “missionaries” from the group can embark on the adventure of beginning a new small group! Let me encourage you to actively participate in a Life Group (Sunday School class) or another kind of small group here at Clairmont Hills Baptist Church. You will find that you will be blessed—and you will be a blessing to others. Need to know of a small group to try? Let us know!
Head, Heart, Hands, and Feet
In our seven part DiscipleLIFE Sermon Series, we are seeking to describe what a healthy disciple look like: there is balanced growth—head, heart, hands, and feet. In other words, a disciple LEARNS (head), a disciple LOVES (heart), a disciple SERVES (hands), and a disciple SHARES (feet). There are also stages of development: pre-birth, infant, growing, and mature.
Yesterday, we focused on the HEART: Disciples Love. Each week, a brief drama highlights the problem when a part of our development is missing. Yesterday we discovered that without the heart, we can easily do good things for the wrong reasons, such as promoting ourselves, as Paul alludes to 1 Corinthians 13.1-3.
We looked at the Great Commandments and were reminded that a disciple loves God, others, and self. We highlighted some dangers inherent when we are not balanced in our growth in this area. And we mentioned three habits that will help us grow in our love for God and others: Worshiping publicly, worshiping privately, and belonging to a small group.
Wonder how all these relate? If you missed the message, it will be posted soon on our website: www.clairmonthills.org. (By the way, all the messages for the past couple of years can be listened to or downloaded at our website. If you experience any difficulty, let us know.)
This coming Sunday, our emphasis will be on the HANDS: Disciples Serve.
Live on 90% for 90 Days
Are you taking the challenge? Our Finance Committee is taking the lead from the Bible to challenge those who do not by habit tithe to try it for the months of September, October, and December. “Test me in this,” says the Lord. (See Malachi 3.6-12).
Called Conference this Sunday afternoon at 5 p.m.
This brief conference is for the Leadership Team to present a list of committee nominations for the coming year and for the deacons to share the names of those who have been nominated, who have been interviewed by the deacon body, and who have agreed to serve on our deacon body. The list is available in the church office and will be distributed this Wednesday night and this coming Sunday morning.
“Harvest in the Barn” on October 18
The Fellowship Team is preparing another fun Sunday night fellowship on October 18. At 6:30 p.m. we will enjoy a barbecue dinner followed by a time of entertainment as “Patsy Cline” will be here with us. And it’s all FREE! Our regular classes will meet at 5:30 as usual and conclude just in time for the fellowship. If you are not participating in one of our classes this quarter, simply arrive in the Fellowship Hall at 6:30, ready for the fun!
Have a great week!
Monday, October 5, 2009
Life Groups (Sunday School classes) are important!
You have probably heard that we are using the term Life Groups now for our primary small group ministry. Of course, we will continue to use the term Sunday School as well, since it is so familiar and ingrained in most of us. But whatever we call them, small groups are necessary for balanced and continued growth in discipleship. The small group is where we most easily live life together. The small group is the most natural place for person to person love and caring to take place within the larger church. The small group allows discussion of how to apply the Bible’s teaching to life and provides a safe environment for questions to be asked. The small group is generally an ideal size for ministry projects within the community. The small group offers a warm, friendly environment in which to invite others to experience Bible study and Christian fellowship. The small group is able to multiply easily when it begins to turn into a “large” group—a few “missionaries” from the group can embark on the adventure of beginning a new small group! Let me encourage you to actively participate in a Life Group (Sunday School class) or another kind of small group here at Clairmont Hills Baptist Church. You will find that you will be blessed—and you will be a blessing to others. Need to know of a small group to try? Let us know!
Head, Heart, Hands, and Feet
In our seven part DiscipleLIFE Sermon Series, we are seeking to describe what a healthy disciple look like: there is balanced growth—head, heart, hands, and feet. In other words, a disciple LEARNS (head), a disciple LOVES (heart), a disciple SERVES (hands), and a disciple SHARES (feet). There are also stages of development: pre-birth, infant, growing, and mature.
Yesterday, we focused on the HEART: Disciples Love. Each week, a brief drama highlights the problem when a part of our development is missing. Yesterday we discovered that without the heart, we can easily do good things for the wrong reasons, such as promoting ourselves, as Paul alludes to 1 Corinthians 13.1-3.
We looked at the Great Commandments and were reminded that a disciple loves God, others, and self. We highlighted some dangers inherent when we are not balanced in our growth in this area. And we mentioned three habits that will help us grow in our love for God and others: Worshiping publicly, worshiping privately, and belonging to a small group.
Wonder how all these relate? If you missed the message, it will be posted soon on our website: www.clairmonthills.org. (By the way, all the messages for the past couple of years can be listened to or downloaded at our website. If you experience any difficulty, let us know.)
This coming Sunday, our emphasis will be on the HANDS: Disciples Serve.
Live on 90% for 90 Days
Are you taking the challenge? Our Finance Committee is taking the lead from the Bible to challenge those who do not by habit tithe to try it for the months of September, October, and December. “Test me in this,” says the Lord. (See Malachi 3.6-12).
Called Conference this Sunday afternoon at 5 p.m.
This brief conference is for the Leadership Team to present a list of committee nominations for the coming year and for the deacons to share the names of those who have been nominated, who have been interviewed by the deacon body, and who have agreed to serve on our deacon body. The list is available in the church office and will be distributed this Wednesday night and this coming Sunday morning.
“Harvest in the Barn” on October 18
The Fellowship Team is preparing another fun Sunday night fellowship on October 18. At 6:30 p.m. we will enjoy a barbecue dinner followed by a time of entertainment as “Patsy Cline” will be here with us. And it’s all FREE! Our regular classes will meet at 5:30 as usual and conclude just in time for the fellowship. If you are not participating in one of our classes this quarter, simply arrive in the Fellowship Hall at 6:30, ready for the fun!
Have a great week!
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